The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, in his interview with The Sunday Times, urged NATO countries to adopt stricter measures in response to the constant violations of European airspace by Russian planes and drones. Pavel believes that Moscow is trying to demonstrate its impunity and test the weaknesses of the alliance's air defense.
“I believe there will come a time when we will have to implement stronger measures, including possibly shooting down a Russian plane or drone,” Pavel noted.
The former head of NATO's Military Committee also emphasized the importance of being prepared to uphold the principles and sovereignty of allies to ensure European security. In turn, alliance leaders called for clarification of the rules of engagement in cases of airspace violations and for giving military aircraft more authority for operational responses.
Recently, numerous instances of violation of European airspace by Russian planes and drones were reported. For example, in November, air traffic was temporarily suspended at Eindhoven airport due to drones, and several drones were also spotted over the airbase in the city of Peer in Belgium. These incidents demonstrate the escalation of the situation and the need to strengthen measures to protect airspace.